An affordable, simple material I like for summer is burlap. Burlap is inexpensive and typically comes in a natural brown colour. A couple of years ago I discovered how easy it is to bleach regular burlap. I dump the burlap in the tub with a bottle of bleach and a lot of water. Let it soak over night and then rinse the bleach out. I normally hang it outside to dry. Once it's dry it has a bleached out, faded look - a great idea for an affordable table cloth. It's also great to use outdoors as a table cloth. This picture shows my bleached table cloth in my dining room. On this table cloth the edges have frayed as I wash it, creating a natural fringe on the ends that I love.